Collapsible bait-bucket.



W. L. WILSON. GOLLA PSIBLE BAIT BUCKET. APPLICATION nun NOV. so, 1908.

Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

yl jiwwgzw/ Wfi WILLIAM L. WILSON, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

COLLAPSIBLE BAIT-BUCKET;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. *7, 1909.

1 Application filed November 30, 1908. Serial No. 465,382.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. WILSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Bait-Buckets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to live-bait buckets and my object is to produce a bucket of this character comprising'a plurality of sections arranged telescopically so as to be capable of being collapsed to small size for convenience of transportation in a grip or trunk without occupying much valuable space.

A further object is to produce a bucket of this character which embodies the desirable features of simplicity, strength, durability and cheapness of construction.

With these general objects in view and others as hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain'novel and peculiar features of construction and organization as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1, is a side elevation of a live-bait bucket embodying my invention, in collapsed condition. Fig. 2, is a central vertical section of the same in extended condition, the section being on the line II-II of Fig. 3. Fig. 3, is a top plan view of the bucket on a smaller scale than Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4, is a detail section showing the bucket in collapsed condition.

In the drawing the bucket is shown as consisting of three sections, numbered 1, 2, and 3, of varying diameter, the section 1, which is the bottom section being preferably imperforate and provided with a bottom 4, the intermediate section 2 being of suitable size to surround section 1 and of foraminous construction and bottomless. The top section 3 is also of foraminous material and of suflicient size to surround section 2. The bottom section is provided at its upper edge with an outwardly projecting circular flange and adjacent to said flange is provided at diametrically opposite points with sets of openings 6, there being preferably two sets, each consisting of a pair of diametrically opposite openings though it is obvious that the number of such openings may vary. The intermediate section 2 is provided at its lower margin with an inwardly projecting circular flange 7 underlying flange 5 of section 1 and adapted by engagement with the latter to prevent total disengagement of such sections when the bucket is being extended or unfolded. Section 2 is provided at its upper margin with an outwardly projecting. circular flange 8 and section 3 with an inwardly projecting circular flange 9 underlying flange 8 for the same reason that flange 7 underlies flange 5, that is, to prevent total disengagement of sections 2 and 3 in the extending or-unfolding operation. Section 3 is provided with an outwardly projecting circular flange 10, and with a crescent shaped top 11, the hollow side of the crescent forming an opening 12 normally closed by a cover 13 pivoted at 14 to the top and adapted to be opened by turning it around upon ,the latter, the cover being shown as partly open in dotted lines Fig. 3. The outer edge of the cover forms a tongue for engagement with a groove 15 extending concentrically of the pivotal point of the cover and produced in a strip of metal 16 which is secured to the flange 10 of section 3.

17 is a handle secured to the cover to permit the same to be conveniently opened or closed and 18 is a stop secured to the top 11 to limit the closing movement of the cover. Section 3 is also provided with perforated cars 19 at diametrically opposite points and with a bail 2O pivotally engaging said ears.

' To secure the bucket in extended condition section land section 2 are provided externally with spring catches corresponding in number to the openings 6 of section 1 and the openings 21 of section 2, each catch consisting of a vertically arranged spring arm 22 secured at its lower end in any suitable manner to its respective section and provided at its upper end with an arm 23 projecting inwardly through the companion opening 6 or 21, the inner end of arm 23 being formed with a vertically arranged portion 24, which by preference, projects upwardly beyond the upper edge of the section and terminates in an outwardly projecting portion 25. These spring catches tend to move outward at their upper ends from the sections, the portions 24 forming stops to limit such outward movement. In this position arms 23 of the spring catches of section 1 underlie section 2 and hold the same extended, the portions 23 of the catches 22 of section 2 underlying the bottom flange of the section 3 to hold the same extended.

To effect the collapse of the bucket, the operator presses the upper ends of the spring catches of the section inward beyond the inner edge of the bottom flange of the section next above and then slides the lastnamed section downward over the catches so as to cause one section to surround the other. He then presses the spring catches of the second section inward and slides down upon the latter the next section above. By this method the bucket can be collapsed to a depth slightly exceeding that of a single section and in such relatively small and condensed condition can be conveniently placed in a trunk or grip and occupy but little valuable space, in fact small articles such as fish-hooks, reels, lines, etc, may be stored within the collapsed bucket.

The bucket can be extended to full height by simply grasping the bottom section and the bail and pulling in opposite directions upon them, the spring catches springing outwardly to their original positions and locking the sections in such extended relation.

A bucket of the character described possesses many advantages over the common or non-collapsible type. For instance by having the bottom sectionimperforate it will retain suflicient water when lifted into a boat to keep the bait alive for suflicient length of time without replenishing the water, to move from one point to another. Furthermore it is not necessary in lifting it into the boat to waste much time in waiting for the water to drain out, it being the practice of almost every fisherman to lift a minnow bucket into a boat too quickly and thus either splash himself or someone else with water 7 V spouting through the perforations. A bucket of this character can also be used with any kind of an inclosing bucket of suflicient size and thus avoids the necessity of one traveling any great distance encumbered by an outer or non-perforate bucket.

hen collapsed the bucket can be placed in an outer bucket and fish placed upon it packed in ice, the water draining down from the fish, the collapsed bucket affording a convenient means of supporting the fish out of the water produced by the melting ice. In this condition fish may be carried any distance in a refrigerated condition. The bucket also has other advantages not necessary to enumerate. With a lid or cover which slides in its opening or closing movement, there is less danger of live frogs escaping from the bucket than where a hinged lid or cover is used, as only a suflicient portion of the opening in the top of the bucket need be exposed to enable the fisherman to extract the bait desired.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a live-bait bucket possessing the features of advantage enumerated as desirable and I wish it to be understood that I reserve the right to make all changes properly falling within the spiritand scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is A collapsible bait bucket, comprising a bottom section provided with an outwardlyprojecting flange at its upper edge and a plurality of openings just below said flange, a second section fitting telescopically around said flange and provided at its lower end with an inwardly-projecting flange loosely embracing the bottom section and underlying said flange of the latter, and provided also with an outwardly-projecting flange at its upper edge and with a plurality of open ings adjacent to said flange, a top section fitting loosely around the last-named flange of the second section and provided with an imvardly-projecting flange at its lower edge loosely embracing the said. second section, spring catches fastened at their lower ends to the bOt'tOlitSGOtlml and the said second section at the outer sides of said sections and provided at their upper ends with horizontal arms projecting inwardly through the said openings of their respective sections, said arms terminating in upwardly and outwardly-projecting hook-portions, the inner portions of said hook-portions lying within their respective sections and the outer portions of said hook-portions paralleling said horizontal arms and overlying the outwardly-projecting flanges of their respective sections; the spring catches of each section being susceptible of being pressed inwardly against the outer sides of their respective section to permit the imvanlly-projecting.

flange of the adjacent section to slide downward outward of said catches.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM L. VILSON. \Vitnesses M. A. ODONNELL, G. Y. THoRPE. 

